Track and Field
Track and field events have always been a mainstay of the modern Olympics increasing from 12 in 1896 to 47 in 2012.
Given the prominence of athletics it is not surprising that there have been Bedfordshire athletes at the Olympics in at least 1908, 1912, 1924, 1948, 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008.
Paula Radcliffe MBE (born 1973) moved to Oakley, Beds when she was 12 and joined Bedford & County Athletics Club. She is the current women's world record holder in the marathon with a time of 2:15:25. She has won the London Marathon (3 times), New York (twice) and Chicago (once). She has represented Britain at four Olympics (1996-2008), without success. Her place in Team GB for London 2012 was announced in December 2011.
Paula Radcliffe in training at Bedford in 1995. In 1992 she won the World Junior Cross-Country running title (BLARS ref X881/5/5 – Beds on Sunday collection)
Robert Holden Crawley (1864-1922), son of a Bedford ironmonger, was a champion local athlete in the 1880s.
Harold Abrahams of Bedford (1899 - 1978), competed in the 100m and long jump in 1920 before winning gold in the 100m and silver in the 4 x 100m relay at Paris in 1924. He was immortalised in the 1981 film Chariots of Fire. In this photograph, taken in the garden of 30 Rutland Road, Bedford, Harold is in the centre being carried by his brother Lionel. Adolphe (left) was medical officer to the British team, 1912-1948, and Sidney (right), competed in long jump in 1906 and 1912. (ref Z50/142/84)
Charles Dale, one of the first Bedfordshire policemen recruited in April 1840, was punished for neglect of duty and running a foot race and for unjustifiably using his truncheon at Colmworth. He was appointed sergeant in 1856, but dismissed in 1859. (ref QES8)
Malcolm James William Dalrymple of Bedford (1922-2008) worked for local engineering firm W. H. Allen, Sons & Co Ltd. His father, James 'Jock' Dalrymple (1892-1960) had overcome war wounds to become a pioneer of British javelin. (ref AQ8/12/2B)
Malcolm Dalrymple in 2008 wearing his 1948 Olympic jacket (picture courtesy The Higgins)
In 1990 a team from the Vauxhall Motors Athletics Club, Luton, broke the world record for a relay run from John O'Groats to Land's End. (ref X693/5/12)
Competitors in the long jump, pole vault and discus at the Bedford County Athletic Championship in May 1929. (ref BP48/2/1/1-2)
Athletic events have come a long way since January 1821 when bets were accepted on Mr Wyatt, a Bedfordshire farmer, completing a walk of 322 miles in five days. (QSR1821/734)